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Winnipeg Free Press

Gallery: Hot start for first night of Winnipeg's new concert series on big stage

Winnipeg's first stadium shows in nearly a decade started off hot and heavy. The inaugural Thunder Concert series kicked off Wednesday with a sweltering evening of rock 'n' roll. The two-night outdoor music festival at Princess Auto Stadium is a joint venture between the Winnipeg Football Club and True North Sports + Entertainment. Opening night, dubbed Rockin' Thunder, featured a lineup of Toque, Foreigner, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Def Leppard. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Def Leppard performs at the inaugural Thunder Concert series Wednesday at Princess Auto Stadium. The sun was blazing and the temperature was hovering around 29 C when Canadian band Toque took the stage. The first act, which includes Winnipeg-born bassist Brent Fitz , performed to a sparse crowd as fans trickled into the venue. Fair warning: Navigating rush hour traffic through Pembina Highway construction to get to the south Winnipeg stadium for 5 p.m. is a bit of a bear. Attendees for Thursday's Country Thunder show (with Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard, Nate Smith and Madeline Merlo) would do well to arrive early, pick an alternate route, carpool or take advantage of the park and ride service. On-campus lot parking is $25. Passes can be purchased on site or in advance. Wednesday's concert brought out 22,500 people, with 20,000 more expected Thursday. Pretty good for a new event taking place mid-week at the busy beginning of summer festival season. Still, the 30,000-seat stadium — which hosted its last major music act, Guns N' Roses, in 2017 — wasn't exactly full. The stands were more populated by the time Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hanson bounded on stage in tight, canary yellow pants. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Def Leppard put on a fun, glittery performance worthy of a big stadium show. Fresh off an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the long-running English-American band raised the temperature with Cold as Ice and an encore of I Want to Know What Love Is, featuring local choristers from Daniel McIntyre and Gordon Bell high schools. The bands played from a large enclosed stage at the northern end of the stadium. The music was loud, but sound quality and sightlines varied throughout the space — the latter could've been improved with more live video screens beyond the two flanking the stage. It's unclear why the massive in-house displays weren't utilized during performances. Those seated in the eastern 200-level bore the brunt of the setting sun, while the assigned seating and standing sections of the turf-level floor remained hot but shaded. Between sets, the concourse was packed with an eclectic group of fans wearing concert tees from every imaginable rock band and at least a few blonde, hair metal-inspired wigs. Joan Jett walked onstage at 8 p.m. wearing tinted glasses, leather and her signature choker, but without her guitar. The error was quickly righted and a punchy set filled with iconic hits ensued, from Cherry Bomb to I Love Rock 'n' Roll to Bad Reputation. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage performs. The American frontwoman also took a moment to speak disapprovingly of the political climate in her home country, which garnered a big cheer. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. British rockers Def Leppard had the most elaborate set, touching down on a tiered stage surrounded by spacey visuals and flashing lights. The intergalactic motif continued with songs Armageddon It and Rocket, followed by other career-spanning touchstones, including Let's Get Rocked and Love Bites. At press time, the headlining act — made up of lead vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen — was in the midst of a fun, glittery performance worthy of a big stadium show. The wind picked up and clouds started rolling in part-way through the set, creating a fitting backdrop for the wailing guitar solos and thundering drum beats coming from the stage. Tickets for Country Thunder are still available via Ticketmaster. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Wednesday's concert brought out 22,500 people to Princess Auto Stadium. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Rock fans enjoy the sights and sounds as Def Leppard performs at the inaugural Thunder Concert series Wednesday at Princess Auto Stadium. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell performs. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Rock fans enjoy the sights and sounds as Def Leppard performs at the inaugural Thunder Concert series Wednesday at Princess Auto Stadium. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Rock fans enjoy the sights and sounds as Def Leppard performs at the inaugural Thunder Concert series Wednesday at Princess Auto Stadium. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliot performs at the inaugural Thunder Concert series Wednesday at Princess Auto Stadium. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS Rock fans enjoy the sights and sounds as Def Leppard performs at the inaugural Thunder Concert series Wednesday at Princess Auto Stadium. DWAYNE LARSEN / FREE PRESS The two-night outdoor music festival at Princess Auto Stadium is a joint venture between the Winnipeg Football Club and True North Sports + Entertainment. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. 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